Breeds for the first-time owner.

ravennr

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#21
I'm sure she'd prefer a puppy, but realistically I told her it's probably best to have an adult for her first dog.

She said she wanted a 'short-haired Pomeranian', lol. She says she likes the Pomeranian as a breed, but if she had one she'd keep it cut down, I assume.
 

Aleron

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#22
I'm sure she'd prefer a puppy, but realistically I told her it's probably best to have an adult for her first dog.

She said she wanted a 'short-haired Pomeranian', lol. She says she likes the Pomeranian as a breed, but if she had one she'd keep it cut down, I assume.
There's no reason that she shouldn't have a puppy if that is what she wants. Plenty of first time dog owners raise puppies. Honestly, I think sometimes the more people know, the more they overthink things ;)

A lot of pet Pom people keep their dogs short or in lion clip. They actually look pretty adorable in a lion clip. Poms are generally nice dogs and not too wild. That sounds like a good choice! There is a huge difference in looks between most show and pet line Poms - enough that you may really love the look of one type and not the other. If she has a strong preference for look (or size) with them, that might also determine where she gets her dog.
 

ravennr

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#23
I will show her one of the Pom sites I have bookmarked that talks about those lines! :) I had one saved from when someone tried to say only conformation lined Poms are purebreds, lol. That might interest her, a lot of them have coats a bit closer to what she SEEMS to be looking for. It seems she doesn't entirely know what she's looking for so I gave her some blogs to look at, as well.

I'm not actually 100% sure she's not looking for a dog to constantly carry in a purse. I hope that's not the case, though.
 
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#24
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Not necessarily the healthiest breed as far as I've gleaned -- although I'd bet if you kept them a decent weight, their chances are better -- but the ones I've met have probably the best temperaments overall as a breed. In my life, I've never met a nasty Cavalier.
 

Skivvies

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#25
A lot of pet Pom people keep their dogs short or in lion clip. They actually look pretty adorable in a lion clip. Poms are generally nice dogs and not too wild. That sounds like a good choice! There is a huge difference in looks between most show and pet line Poms - enough that you may really love the look of one type and not the other. If she has a strong preference for look (or size) with them, that might also determine where she gets her dog.
Just look at Boo! He rocks the lion clip.



Poms are awesome. My friend has one, he's dumb as a box of rocks but the sweetest little guy ever. He's kind of on the noisy side though.
 
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#28
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Not necessarily the healthiest breed as far as I've gleaned -- although I'd bet if you kept them a decent weight, their chances are better -- but the ones I've met have probably the best temperaments overall as a breed. In my life, I've never met a nasty Cavalier.
I love those little guys! I was also going to suggest them, however, I don't think that it's possible to get one without some level of health problems, even going to the best breeders.
 

Aleron

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#29
I'm not actually 100% sure she's not looking for a dog to constantly carry in a purse. I hope that's not the case, though.
As long as she'll take good care of the dog - toy dogs were sort of meant to be carried around :)

The show bred Poms tend to be the most consistently small for sure. If she'd like a bit more size, a pet bred one would be the way to go. If she's set on a puppy, she could always keep an eye on classifieds for one.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Not necessarily the healthiest breed as far as I've gleaned -- although I'd bet if you kept them a decent weight, their chances are better -- but the ones I've met have probably the best temperaments overall as a breed. In my life, I've never met a nasty Cavalier.
While it's always good to keep any dog at proper weight, keeping a Cav lean and fit won't do much to prevent the health problems the breed is overwhelmingly prone to. The vast majority of Cavaliers have a heart defect, so it isn't so much a matter of if your Cav will have heart trouble but when they will. With some, it isn't an issue until they are older but about half are affected by 5 years old.

"Heart mitral valve disease (MVD) is the leading cause of death of cavalier King Charles spaniels throughout the world. MVD is a polygenetic disease which afflicts over half of all cavaliers by age 5 years and nearly all cavaliers by age 10 years, should they survive that long." http://www.cavalierhealth.org/mitral_valve_disease.htm

The other issue is Syrinhomyelia which is also extremely widespread, about 50% of Cavs have it. It is an issue related to shape of the skull and causes neurological symptoms.

"Syringomyelia (SM) is an extremely serious condition in which fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord near the brain. It is also known as "neck scratcher's disease", because one of its common signs is scratching in the air near the neck.

The back half of the cavalier King Charles spaniel’s skull typically may be too small to accommodate all of the brain’s cerebellum, which may also be too large, and so it squeezes through the foramen magnum – the hole at the back of the skull – partially blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) down the spinal cord. The variable pressure created by the abnormal flow of CSF is believed to create the SM cavities – called syrinx – in the spinal cord.
SM is rare in most breeds but has become very widespread in cavalier King Charles spaniels. The number of diagnosed cases in cavaliers has increased dramatically since 2000. Researchers estimate that up to 95% of CKCSs have Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM) – also known as caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS) or occipital hypoplasia (OH), the skull bone malformation present in all cases and believed to be at least part of the cause of syringomyelia – and that more than 50% of cavaliers have SM. The severity and extent of syringomyelia also appear to get worse in each succeeding generation of cavaliers. It is worldwide in scope and not limited to any country, breeding line, or kennel, and experts report that it is believed to be inherited in the cavalier."
http://cavalierhealth.org/syringomyelia.htm

Cavs are known for having wonderful dispositions but anyone considering one should be aware that they tend to be a "heartbreak breed". They have some very serious, very widespread health problems which aren't prevented by good care or by going to a good breeder.
 
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#30
Italian greyhounds are nice smaller dogs. Medium to low energy indoors, but can be active if needed and they are usually quiet dogs.

I agree with everyone who said rescue too.
 

Laurelin

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#31
I'm sure she'd prefer a puppy, but realistically I told her it's probably best to have an adult for her first dog.

She said she wanted a 'short-haired Pomeranian', lol. She says she likes the Pomeranian as a breed, but if she had one she'd keep it cut down, I assume.
Why not an older smooth haired chihuahua then? I know around here there's TONS of chis on craigslist and there's a chi specific rescue that is always full.
 

ravennr

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#32
Why not an older smooth haired chihuahua then? I know around here there's TONS of chis on craigslist and there's a chi specific rescue that is always full.
This is where the "I think she's been brainwahsed by stereotypes" thing comes in, because she says she doesn't like Chihuahuas. I've never owned one, and don't know how they differ to a Pom, but I told her to read about them anyway.
 

elegy

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#33
I adore Cavs. I wish they weren't so unhealthy. They are just... nice little dogs. Happy and sweet and cute and just... NICE.
 
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#34
^What she said. I haven't met a Cav with the severe health issues you hear about, although who knows what goes on at home. The biggest thing I've seen with them is getting fat as hell and then ending up with knee problems. Most of the health stuff I heard about in that Pedigree Dogs: Exposed show, rather than through personal experience.

ETA: It is very interesting that in the OFA database, of the 9000-odd Cavaliers tested, like 97% are cardiac clear. I wonder if those are all young dogs or if the tests don't look at the same thing that these dogs are dying from.
 

ravennr

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#35
They're such cute little dogs. I've never met one, just admired them in photos. I love the tris and black and tans.
 

Kat09Tails

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#36
I haven't met a cav yet that didn't have health issues by 6. Usually a heart disorder but sometimes other issues too - eyes, immune, joint, etc. I think the percentage reporting in OFA are mainly because people don't submits affected - which you will know prior to sending in paperwork.
 

Lilavati

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#37
I love Cavs, but I'd never own one do to those problems. Its so very pervasive, and as far as I can tell the breed club is in denial . . .

Sigh.
 

Aleron

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#38
^What she said. I haven't met a Cav with the severe health issues you hear about, although who knows what goes on at home. The biggest thing I've seen with them is getting fat as hell and then ending up with knee problems. Most of the health stuff I heard about in that Pedigree Dogs: Exposed show, rather than through personal experience.

ETA: It is very interesting that in the OFA database, of the 9000-odd Cavaliers tested, like 97% are cardiac clear. I wonder if those are all young dogs or if the tests don't look at the same thing that these dogs are dying from.
Most of what I know about them, I know through Cav people and owners. They can be prone to luxating patellas, like most of the small breeds are but that is really a minor issue compared to the widespread, often fatal problems in the breed.

Statistics for later onset problems can be misleading. Since the heart issue with Cavs is something that young dogs can be clear of, only to develop it at a later time the OFA stats are likely very inaccurate. People wanting to be "responsible" have their young dogs OFA Cardio tested but it doesn't mean a lot in terms of what the dog will become years later. If you read the info from the Cav Health site that I posted, you can see that about half of the breed is affected by age 6 and most are affected by age 10 (if they live that long). I'm also not entirely sure as to how the OFA Cardio tests work or what all they are screening for. I know there are definitely Boxers and Dobes who have been cleared through them and ended up with heart issues such as Cardiomyopathy later in life.
 

Dekka

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#39
Rescue. Heck even JRT rescue has quite a few really quiet snuggly happy little dogs. Not terribly drivey, which would be good for someone like your friend. You could suggest the JRTRO for a place for her to look. (www.russelrescue.org) they are full of helpful people and will not place a dog that is too much for a person.


Does she want a more playful athletic small dog or a chill around the house, cuddle, maybe a short walk every day dort of dog? Shih Tzus are great for the average dog owner who doesn't want a particularly athletic dog, but if someone is planning on a more go out and do stuff dog Shih-Tzus are not the best, particularly in the summer. But chances are, if she's like most average dog owners, lazier is better and Shih Tzus are great. They are not particularly barky either, which is nice since many small breeds are vocal. They do need regular, professional grooming though. Pugs might be good too, but I don't know a ton about them.
Growing up we had shih tzus. If you keep their coat trimmed they are as active if not more active in the summer than most breeds. There is a trainer around here (quite an aversive one strangely) that does quite well in obed with them. There are also a few doing agility.
 

Sit Stay

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#40
Havanese, maybe? Awesome little dogs, small but not fragile, very sweet and happy go lucky and content to keep your lap warm.

I also know of a good breeder here in Ontario if she's interested.
 

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